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How to Install New Baseboard?

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Baseboard is the trim that fits along the floor and makes a transition from floor to wall. It can help hold flooring in place. You may want to install baseboard in a new room or remodeled room or replace damaged baseboard. This is a simple job that most people with a few tools can handle.


Remove the old baseboard if it exists. Pry off the old baseboard carefully with a small pry bar so you can use it to mark and cut the new molding. Protect the wall as you pry off old molding so it won’t be damaged. Use a piece of scrap wood between the wall and the pry bar. You may be able to cut off damaged areas of molding and re-use part of the old molding.


Remove any nails that pull through the old molding and are left in the wall. Measure, mark and cut the new molding. Using the old molding to make a template for corner cuts and cuts around outlets or other obstructions is ideal. Make a template out of stiff paper or cardboard for difficult cuts if there is no old molding.


Molding pieces should end at a wall stud. Try to cut pieces so that you join two pieces at a wall stud. Allow for the depth of both pieces of the molding when butting two pieces together at a corner. If you have a miter box you can miter the corners (cut at an angle) so they fit together neatly. Make sure cuts where molding will meet another piece in a line are perfectly straight to avoid gaps between pieces.


Fit the molding pieces in place and adjust if needed. Make sure any flooring and wall coverings such as wallpaper or paneling are in place and any painting is done before installing the molding. Work with one wall at a time. Start at one corner and fit all the pieces in place.

How to Refinish Marble Tile Floors?

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Refinish your marble tile floors for less than $100. This method also removes the thin layer of grout which has been left if grout was installed and not immediately cleaned afterwards.

Section your floor into smaller work areas. If you use small 5 x 5 ft sections it will make your work easier to keep clean. Use rolled up towels or drop cloths around the 5′ x 5′ perimeter to limit the amount of kickback spray from the spinning motion that the angle grinder generates. If you don’t do this, the milky colored spray will get everywhere.

Wet the section of the floor with water and cover the calacata tiles with a nice layer of water (more is better as it provides lubrication for the pad). Add a small amount of buffing compound and mix thoroughly (just spread it around with your hand). Be sure the water/compound mixture completely covers your work area. Make sure the water/compound mixture is milky and pretty dissolved before buffing. Be sure to wear gloves when doing this as the buffing compound is acidic and will dry up and irritate your skin.

Use the angle grinder with the nylon pad to go over your wood marble tiles one by one. Let the angle grinder do the work and just hold the sucker steady. It will take a bit of getting used to at first, but you’ll get the hang of it. Spend least 30 seconds on each tile to make sure the scrapes, scuffs, scratches are buffed down and smoothed as much as possible. Keep the grinder moving in small circles to polish the santana stone tiles evenly.

After you have finished the sectioned area, pour clean water over the area and mix it around making it wet again. Use a shop vac and suck it all up. Then if necessary, rinse with clean water and suck that up too. Move onto the next section until every tile is done.